Directions

1. Cut bread into cubes. Toss the cubes with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and spread on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 400° for about 8 minutes, or until browned, raking the cubes once or twice for even browning. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
   
   For herbed croutons, stir fresh herbs into the olive oil. For garlic croutons, infuse the oil with crushed garlic cloves for at least 30 minutes and strain before using. For cheese croutons, sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan or Romano onto the croutons after 6 minutes, toss and bake for about 2 minutes more.